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County Schools Superintendent Outlines Immediate Initiatives

SNOW HILL — Dr. Jerry Wilson officially took part in his first Worcester County Board of Education meeting this week, presenting the board with his Superintendent Entry Plan, which briefly outlines his plans and goals for the immediate future.

“The first [step] is gathering information,” Wilson told the Board of Education.

Since coming to Worcester earlier this summer, Wilson explained that he’s been busy meeting with community leaders and educators to try to develop a general grasp of the needs of schools in the county.

“I’m getting to appreciate the strengths of the district and some of the reasons for success,” he said.

Wilson added that he is also in the process of learning “basic district practices” and wrapping up his community interviews.

“I’ll be listening to key voices in the district,” he said.

The interview process should be over by August, at which point Wilson will give the Board of Education a list of preliminary goals. He also revealed that he has met or plans to meet with representatives from every school as well as government officials, both county and municipal.

After gathering information, Wilson said that step two will be a review of everything learned. This should take place in September.

“What this allows us to do is look at the district through fresh eyes,” he said.

Some of the major topics that Wilson plans to examine will be Worcester’s consistent excellence in state testing, the county and state funding climate for schools as well as aspects like faculty evaluations.

“Certainly it’s integral what is taking place in the state and our district to change teacher and principal evaluations,” he said.

Wilson expects the review to permit “a deep discussion around what people in the district are experiencing and what they value.”

After the information is gathered and subsequently reviewed, Wilson noted that the final step will be on focus and strategic direction, which should last from October through November and will mainly deal with identifying the “gap between where we are and where we want to be” along with developing a strategy to get to that point.

“What I can do with the entry plan is hold a mirror up,” he informed the board. “Frequently what we look for with a superintendent to do is bring focus to a school system.”